Tastes of Greece — Restaurant in Laguna Niguel

Long, long overdue, but this is my husband's and my favorite Greek restaurant in the county, and probably anywhere! Everything we've tried thus far have been excellent. Over several visits, we've had the Moussaka, Pastitsio (sp?), Spanakopita, Dolmades (meat and vegetarian), Taramosalata, Hummus, Lamb Gyro plate, Vegetarian Chef's Choice, Falafel plate, roasted vegetable appetizer plate, Halibut cakes, among a couple of other things, I believe. The service and owners/chefs are all down to earth and so friendly. You get high quality food but at a casual, friendly feel, which I love.

Here's the Breakdown:

Moussaka (I believe this is the dish at least) - Excellent, some of the best I've ever had. The bechamel is almost like a whipped mashed potato but so much lighter, and the eggplant and meat are moist and flavorful, that's nice and earthy and savory. Pastitsio - This was almost like a Greek lasagna (if I'm thinking of the right dish), but instead of pasta sheets, it was small penne type pasta lining the dish, and excellent as well. Spanakopita - THE BEST. The crust was flakey and not oily at all, while inside was moist and soft, with the spinach and feta perfectly melted, with just the right amount of saltiness from the feta, and slightest touch of lemon to cut through the richness. Dolmades (meat and vegetarian) - THE BEST (also). Not sour and acidic at all, just the slightest hint of lemon, but here, you can actually taste the meaty flavors of the rice mixture, which is moist, meaty (even the vegetarian has almost a savory taste that's excellent), and hearty. Taramosalata- Excellent, although this is one that I can't imagine anywhere doing anything to mess this dish up. Hummus - Nice and earthy, not too salty, not too acidic or sour, just the right amount of balance. Lamb Gyro Plate - THE BEST. I know I've said that a lot, but I can't stress how this is the best in Orange County, and probably even the best Greek food I've ever had. Anyhow, the lamb gyro plate, has succulent lamb that's moist and so tender, and that's got just the right amount of subtle spices. Vegetarian Chef's Choice - On the occasion my husband had it, he got two falafels, two vegetarian dolmades, a roasted pea or lima bean sprout that was marinated and roasted to have almost a roasted eggplant texture and taste to it, basmati rice, and a delicious salad. Everything was perfect. The roasted vegetables, whatever they were, were tender and hearty. Falafels - SO GOOD. Crispy on the outside, but soft on the inside, with a surprising spice to it, but not overpowering (not too spicy at all for those with more delicate palettes), just enough to have flavor and a kick. Roasted Vegetable appetizer - Excellent. You can tell they really take the time to properly roast the vegetables, because they have nice char marks, and are so tender and almost sweet. Halibut cakes (and accompanying sauce and salad) - THE BEST. The Halibut cakes were the best fish cakes I've ever had. They had a really nice crispiness on the outside, but so moist and tender, packed with Halibut chunks in the center. The Chef was very proud of her sauce, and said it was out of this world, but it really is out of this world! It was a mustard sauce with dill, and a bit of horseradish or had some spiciness to it. The mustard element of the sauce was creamy, and mild, not too mustardy, but still enough that you could taste the...

We decided to hit up Tastes of Greece again after a while, reminiscing about the good ol' days when it was run by the original owner. We had a blast with the authentic food back then. Last night, we got to meet Chef Mark Cummings, who came over to our table and shared some stories about his career, his gig with the Food Network, and how he ended up in Capistrano with his family. Naturally, with Chef Mark coming to our table and introducing himself and his accomplishments, we expected to receive better services and food quality than when it was run by the original owner. Unfortunately, our experience was the reverse.

Unfortunately, our experience this time around wasn't as awesome as before. Despite Chef Cummings' impressive resume, including throwing parties in Antarctica and Africa and supposedly owning the Food Network, the service was pretty slow, and our food was way too salty. To add to that, the foods came very late, which was a bummer. We kind of missed the vibe of the original family who used to run the place. The atmosphere was cool, but it was a bit too crowded for our liking this time.

The prices were decent, and we didn't have any issues with that. But because we didn't have a great time this visit, we wanted to share our experience in case it's becoming a regular thing. Hopefully, the owner sees this and makes some...

This was a great spot- not fancy but solid Greek dishes, an array of wines, music and warm, family owned atmosphere.

Last night six of us visited. A man in a Food Network chefs coat came to the table to explain how he founded the Food Network, discovered Bobby Flay and Emeril Lagasse, and had just arrived at the restaurant from a year long assignment as head chef on a very exclusive cruise.

After reviewing his credentials he explained a page of specials exclusively created by him. This schnitzel (in a Greek restaurant) should have been our warning.

The food was mediocre to poor. Gone were the fresh and tasty flavors of Greece and in its place, we were served overly salted, breaded and oiled entrees. I ordered the cod and it was manhandled so poorly that it looked indistinguishable from the rice dish that was served next to it. Everything tasted and looked the same. The souvlaki was dry, sparse and sat on a few meager and sad, soggy french fries. The Greek salad was limp and the chicken served on top had hardened into pucks so I imagine it was pre cooked and reheated.

If you own this restaurant, please please find another chef. This chefs self promotion is immediately off putting but still not as off putting...